As soon as winter comes, it’s time for imported cherries to travel across the ocean to the Chinese market. The price of cherries just in the market is obviously not cheap. However, there are some tricks in this early-bird price. From the wholesale market to the fruit store, the price difference can reach up to ¥200/kg.
In boutique fruit chain stores, a box of 250g JJ-level cherries sells for ¥84, and smaller-size J-level cherries cost ¥316/kg. Among the imported cherries, the size of the JJ-level is not considered large. During the peak period, JJJ- and JJJJ-levels are everywhere. However, it is clear that cherries have not yet entered the peak season, and the price-performance ratio is not so high yet.
In a fresh food chain supermarket, the price of cherries is relatively cheap. JJ-level Chilean cherries sell for ¥240/kg. Every winter, this supermarket sells cherries in whole boxes of 2.5kg and 5kg at relatively low prices, but this "wholesale model" has not yet started.
In the real wholesale market, some customers are already "snapping up" cherries. Boxes of cherries can be seen at stalls selling imported fruits. At present, the average wholesale price is just over ¥100/kg, the lowest price for J-level cherries is ¥90/kg, and the highest price for JJ-level cherries is ¥115/kg. That is to say, for cherries of similar specifications, the price difference between the wholesale market and the boutique fruit store is as high as about ¥200/kg.
"Now all the cherries on the market are Chilean cherries." A wholesaler revealed that the source of cherries in fruit stores is similar to that in wholesale markets. The fruits in boutique fruit stores have gone through two rounds of screening and packaging, plus loss, storefront and personnel costs. It is normal for the final price to be high, but he feels that the price difference is a bit too high.
In recent years, cherries have been very popular in China, and the import volume has increased significantly. For example, about 80% of Chile's cherries are sold to China every year. With the increase in sales, the price of imported cherries has gradually become more affordable. In the early spring of previous years, the retail price of imported cherries dropped to around ¥60/kg.
Source: yangtse.com